Best truck

[RandyNH]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

"Best truck"?
FORD
Best hitch
NAKED
Best tires
Michelin LT
Best generator
HONDA

This is probably the most biased forum on the internet.

That was easy who's next...

[SteveSueMac]

Some think Mack is a mighty fine truck.

Sadly - there's no single "best" tow vehicle and it doesn't necessarily have to be a truck either, though a 3/4T diesel was my personal preference. There's only what matches your needs, budget, and other decision criteria.

Happy camping!

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

"Best truck"?
Always good for a fight.
May I suggest also:
Best hitch
Best tires
Best generator

This is probably the most biased forum on the internet.

Just look at the sales figures.

[BCC1]

Originally Posted by gandttimes

I always love these threads where people say they love this or that brand and they have had 4 or 5 of them in the past x number of years.
If they are so great, why do you keep trading them in?

You should see how often I change motorcycles.

Anyway, in my case, I just got in the habit of switching vehicles every 2 or 3 years. In some instances it was because I was leasing and in some cases it was because I was bored and wanted something else or my needs changed.

I switch houses and states fairly often, too.

And don’t get me started on sailboats.

The good news is, this same restlessness and need for change has served me very well in business.

Anyway, I figure my breadth of experiences add a perspective different from those who are better able to stick with the same thing for years.

Sort of a mile wide vs a mile deep.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Meh. To me, Ford means “Fix Or Repair Daily” and GM products run out of part support way too quick. I also had to swing wrenches on them a bit too often, IMHO.
]

It's funny, I have a dealer mechanic in the family who sends me hilarious pictures of newer Big 3 trucks he's working on. My favorite is the brake rotor the customer ignored the wear indicator on, until it wore through. There's also an engine that blew up after 30,000 miles without an oil change. And a guy who overloaded his Ram til the frame bent in half. These customers were looking at other brands because they were unhappy with Ford and Dodge "lack of durability". (The Ram guy got a new frame, I'm not kidding).

I take impeccable care of my stuff, and never have any "durability issues" or "quality issues" worth even mentioning. Coincidence? Maybe. Full disclosure: my 2000 Silverado finally left the family at 345,000 miles, sold for $1500. It had the famous "piston noise" on cold startup everyone complained about, never caused an issue.

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Very good point, BUT is it worth the money to carrying around an empty bed for 9/10th of the year, to carry all you've stated for 1/10th of camping. The OP will have to decide that of course.

BBQ can be carried inside trailer
Firewood can be carried to site in a big carry all bag (This summer we used my wife's 1995 Jaguar XJS convertible for firewood duty.
Generator can be carried inside vehicle, as no one is crazy enough to have a gasoline generator and carry extra gas, when your main trailers fuel is propane and you can do propane conversions.
Bulky chairs....it's camping for gosh sakes, a storage device on top of the van, car or SUV could take car of these, as well as the generator and BBQ.
Bicycles on a rack behind the car or van/SUV; or in the old days, on the front.

Where there is a will, there is a way.......another saying is....if it doesn't fit, it shouldn't come.

Cheers
Tony

Yes, it's totally worth it. I carry all of the above, plus use the pickup at the farm. I keep a bedcover on it when not towing or hauling. It like having a larger than average trunk on your car. You wouldn't get rid of your car's trunk would you?

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Yes, it's totally worth it. I carry all of the above, plus use the pickup at the farm. I keep a bedcover on it when not towing or hauling. It like having a larger than average trunk on your car. You wouldn't get rid of your car's trunk would you?

Great! You are the 1% that actually utilize a pick-up trucks bed for use on a farm; have at it.

I on the other hand don't live on a farm, like 99% of the population, have a trunk that can take a huge amount of cargo in the dry with the seats folded down when needed, but magically will transform to carry six passengers + plus driver and passenger, (2012 Pilot) and tow a full size utility trailer with all the gear you listed and more.

Which one of us has the more useful automobile? Can you carry eight people?

Cheers
Tony

[uncle_bob]

Hi

So 2018 23' International Signature:

Base weight 4,761 LB
Full loaded weight 6,000 LB
Tongue weight 672 LB

I would suggest that you plan for the full loaded weight. The hitch will get in there somewhere and add (maybe) a few hundred pounds. Small SUV's by the "tow ratings" in the manual often top out below 6,000 LB. Any large SUV I've owned will do a fine job on a 6,000 LB trailer. The generalization is true on vans. Small ones likely not, larger ones not a problem. I don't know of anything with "truck" in it's name that is not rated to handle 6,000 LB.

Indeed tow ratings are only a starting point. Even they stir up controversy here. It gets back to basics like how much faith you put in anything the manufacturer says. You will ultimately have to add up how much will be in the tow vehicle, how heavy it is, and how much trailer weight shows up on the tow vehicle. That gets compared to the axle ratings.

Numbers will get you to a certain point. They will tell you if you *can* tow this or that. They will not tell you if you *should* tow this or that. I would suggest that a bit of safety margin against the numbers is a good idea. Even that sparks debate on a variety of forums ... some of which serve beer ...

So back to my previous post to the OP -- how do you intend to use the TV?

Bob

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Great! You are the 1% that actually utilize a pick-up trucks bed for use on a farm; have at it.

I on the other hand don't live on a farm, like 99% of the population, have a trunk that can take a huge amount of cargo in the dry with the seats folded down when needed, but magically will transform to carry six passengers + plus driver and passenger, (2012 Pilot) and tow a full size utility trailer with all the gear you listed and more.

Which one of us has the more useful automobile? Can you carry eight people?

Cheers
Tony

You don't need to live on a farm to use a pickup bed. Handy for drywall, 2x4s, helping people move etc. I would probably destroy the suspension on a Pilot in six months. And there are six seats in a crew cab pickup. But I'd rather park the Pilot in a crowded parking lot.

[Mollysdad]

For some, a 3/4 ton truck with a long bed and diesel engine makes a lot of sense.
For those with finite bank accounts who need to take said vehicle to the grocery store 99% of the time and actually tow 1% of the time, it doesn't.
I rode in a Chevy 2500 4x4. I needed a step ladder to get in. Almost killed myself getting out. No thanks.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

You don't need to live on a farm to use a pickup bed. Handy for drywall, 2x4s, helping people move etc. I would probably destroy the suspension on a Pilot in six months. And there are six seats in a crew cab pickup. But I'd rather park the Pilot in a crowded parking lot.

Okay, so you're the guy that everyone who needs a truck for a weekend a year, but is smart enough not to buy a truck, phones. Again, who is the smart one?

Any crew cabs I've looked at are 5 passenger trucks. Two up front and three in the rear.

Cheers
Tony

[70CT]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Okay, so you're the guy that everyone who needs a truck for a weekend a year, but is smart enough not to buy a truck, phones. Again, who is the smart one?

Any crew cabs I've looked at are 5 passenger trucks. Two up front and three in the rear.

Cheers
Tony

You can buy just about any pickup with a bench seat configuration up front still, so you can seat six.

[Wesair]

Look at the data, pour over the brochures, read the posts, then buy the one your wife likes to ride in. Worked for me.

[rmkrum]

Point of fact: Toyota crew cab trucks seat 5, two in bucket seats in front, three on bench in back. We normally carry a dog crate that takes up two and a half spots in back with three little pups in it. The bigger dog gets a seat belt harness or lap when daughter is aboard.

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Okay, so you're the guy that everyone who needs a truck for a weekend a year, but is smart enough not to buy a truck, phones. Again, who is the smart one?

Any crew cabs I've looked at are 5 passenger trucks. Two up front and three in the rear.

Cheers
Tony

Wrong again. My Tundra has three and three. Plus firewood and so much more. I understand you don't like pickup trucks. That's fine. Others do, and that's fine also.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Okay, so you're the guy that everyone who needs a truck for a weekend a year, but is smart enough not to buy a truck, phones. Again, who is the smart one?

Any crew cabs I've looked at are 5 passenger trucks. Two up front and three in the rear.

Cheers
Tony

I look down the block and see Minivans, Fusions and Priuses. I think I'm the smart one lol. Wouldn't be seen in a minivan. When it snows I'll pull them out 😎

I can fit four in the back in a pinch. They won't like it, so hopefully they'll take their own car.

[gypsydad]

Your really taking a gamble on getting good advice here! None of us have opinions on this topic, let alone experience!

We went through a new 2008 Tahoe with our first 25' 2006 AS then a second 2011 New Tahoe on our second 25' 2008 AS; but shortly after a long mountainous trip with the Tahoe, we traded that Tahoe for a new 2012' F150 Echoboost; never looked back! Loved driving that vehicle for towing or as daily driver; my first pickup also. We put 125K miles on it over 6 years to/from TX and MT with no mechanical issues!

I know your getting a 23' and there are lots of TV choices, as you will no doubt read about here. The PU however, affords many capabilities in utility use, you may not take advantage of with an SUV. Utilities such as hauling stuff like a generator and gas, a BBQ grill, outdoor camping equipment, a kayak or canoe, etc... Yes, you can do all this with an SUV, but not sure dirty grill, generator, or a gas can is desirable in an SUV.

There are many great 1/2 T truck choices today for sure for your needs. Check payload and MPG stats...that should also help. Payload is important.

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Your really taking a gamble on getting good advice here! None of us have opinions on this topic, let alone experience!

We went through a new 2008 Tahoe with our first 25' 2006 AS then a second 2011 New Tahoe on our second 25' 2008 AS; but shortly after a long mountainous trip with the Tahoe, we traded that Tahoe for a new 2012' F150 Echoboost; never looked back! Loved driving that vehicle for towing or as daily driver; my first pickup also. We put 125K miles on it over 6 years to/from TX and MT with no mechanical issues!

I know your getting a 23' and there are lots of TV choices, as you will no doubt read about here. The PU however, affords many capabilities in utility use, you may not take advantage of with an SUV. Utilities such as hauling stuff like a generator and gas, a BBQ grill, outdoor camping equipment, a kayak or canoe, etc... Yes, you can do all this with an SUV, but not sure dirty grill, generator, or a gas can is desirable in an SUV.

There are many great 1/2 T truck choices today for sure for your needs. Check payload and MPG stats...that should also help. Payload is important.

Sensible info here. Unless you routinely haul more than six people, a pick up would be a great choice. We've had very good results with our Tundra.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Crew capacity of a lot of vehicles varies with the size of the crew. If you have "full sized" people in your crew, three in the front seat and three in back .... not so much. Maybe for a quick run to the local supplier of liquid refreshment. Not so much for hours and hours on the road. If they crew is mom and dad plus kids in the "under 10" category, three plus three may work fine.

Once our "crew" got older, anything other than bucket seats in the rear (or similar room) got a big thumbs down when shopping for a new vehicle. That's not to say they always got what they wanted ....

If you wonder what they do in "other lands" to solve this issue: Mom drives one car. Dad drives the other car. Tents pack on top of both of them. I spent a lot of time in that configuration. It works pretty well. The vehicles are a lot more "tiny streets" compatible that way. (Yes, Bob's off topic yet again ....)

Lots ways to get things done.

Bob

[uraljohn]

I tow a 2017 Int Serenity 23D with a 2013 Ford E150 Premium XLT van. Rated at 8600 GVWR, 3700lb front axle, 5120 rear axle, factory tow package with 7000lb max rating. Van has 5.4 engine, 3.73 Dana 60 limited slip axle. All loaded up, hitched and ready to go rig scales at 11,720lbs. That is full fluids.
Front axle scales at 3210lbs, rear is 3700, trailer axle at 4810lbs. Pulls like a champ! Best thing is van MSRP when new was $42k!! I paid $19,500 out the door in Dec. 2016 from a Toyota dealer in Orlando, Florida. It had 50k miles on it and was in like new condition. Do not need to spend BIG $ for great tow vehicle. Enjoy your new International and safe travels. P.S. Averages 12 MPG when towing.